Echague, officially the Municipality of Echague, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 88,410 people. The town is known for the indigenous and endangered Yogad language, which is spoken and conserved by its locals. Echague is 57 km from Ilagan and 341 km from Manila.

Etymology

Fr. Pedro Salgado, the Dominican writer, in volume I of his "Cagayan Valley and Eastern Cordillera (1581-1898)," wrote that Echague formerly used to be called Camarag, the name of a big tree then common in the place. Before it separated from Nueva Vizcaya, Camarag was Nueva Vizcaya's first capital, before Bayombong was declared such in 1865.

History

The town was founded in 1752 and ecclesiastically placed under the patronage of St. Joseph on May 12, 1753. Prior to 1856, there were only two provinces in the Cagayan Valley Region: Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya. The province of Cagayan at that time consisted of all towns from Tumauini to the north in Aparri and all other towns from Ilagan southward to Aritao comprised the Province of Nueva Vizcaya. In order to facilitate the work of the missionaries in the evangelization of the Cagayan Valley, a royal decree was issued on May 1, 1856, that created the Province of Isabela consisting of the towns of Gamu, Angadanan, Bindang (now Roxas) and Camarag (now Echague), Carig (now Santiago City) and Palanan. The new province was named in honor of Queen Isabela II of Spain. Missionaries wanted to transfer the town from the banks of the Cagayan River to the Ganano River 10 kilometers away. The people rebelled because the soil was more fertile along the Cagayan River. But in 1776, they were forcibly transferred. Some 72 years later, the people returned to Camarag, later renamed after Rafael de Echagüe y Bermingham, a former Spanish governor-general.

Geography

Barangays

Echague is politically subdivided into 64 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Echague, Isabela, was 88,410 people, with a density of undefined PD/km2.

Economy

Government

Local government

As a municipality in the Province of Isabela, government officials in the provincial level are voted by the electorates of the town. The provincial government have political jurisdiction over local transactions of the municipal government. The municipality of Echague is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years. Barangays are also headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain, Barangay Council, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. The barangays have SK federation which represents the barangay, headed by SK chairperson and whose members are called SK councilors. All officials are also elected every three years.

Elected officials

Congress representation

Echague, belonging to the sixth legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Faustino A. Dy V.

Education

The Schools Division of Isabela governs the town's public education system. The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region. The office governs the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the municipality.

Main elementary schools

• Echague East Central School • Echague West Central School • Echague South Central School • First Echague United Methodist School • St. Dominic Human Development Center, Inc. (SDHDCI) • School of Saint Joseph the Worker • First Echague United Methodist School • InterActive Children Learning School (Pre-School and Grade School) • St. Joseph Vineyard Montessori School • Precious Gift Learning School, Inc. • Annafunan Elementary School • Buneg Elementary School • Santo Domingo Elementary School • Carulay Elementary School • Dugayong Elementary School • Salay Elementary School • Soyung Elementary School

Forest Region elementary schools

• Narra Elementary School • Aromin Elementary School • Salvacion Elementary School • Pag-asa Elementary School • Villa Rey Elementary School • Villa Campo Elementary School • Diasan Elementary School • Mabbayad Elementary School • Madadamian Elementary School • Benguet Elementary School • San Miguel Elementary School • Dicaraoyan Elementary School • Dammang Malitao Elementary School • Dammang East Elementary School • Malitao Elementary School • Busilelao Elementary School • Rumang-ay Elementary School • Bacradal Elementary School • San Salvador Elementary School

Main secondary schools

• School of St. Joseph the Worker • Ugad High School • Isabela State University Senior High School • St. Dominic Human Development Center, Inc. (SDHDCI) • Echague National High School • Don Mariano Marcos National High School • Imelda R. Marcos High School - Main • Imelda R. Marcos High School - Annex • Doña Magdalena H. Gaffud High School • Highway Region National High School • Pangal Sur High School

Universities